"Terrence, does Arlan know how to play the piano?" Luke couldn't help but ask. This was a very important occasion and he didn't want anything to go wrong.
Terrence shook his head and muttered. "I don't know. I've only known him for a few days." He was also feeling a bit nervous. He knew that the celebration this time was very important for his father's business and that a single mistake might ruin the reputation of their family. If he told his father that he only knew him for a less than half a day, he might have a nervous breakdown.
Meanwhile, Arlan had already taken a seat in front of the piano. His aura suddenly changed the moment he placed his fingertips on the piano and this made the guests stare at him expectantly.
Soon, Arlan's fingers started dancing and a melancholic melody echoed in the banquet hall. The somber tone made everyone picture a painful memory.
This music piece was composed by Beethoven, titled Moonlight Sonata. It contained all of his feelings and heartache after having his marriage proposal rejected by his lover's father for not having a noteworthy background.
Arlan was able to portray Bethooven's feelings of grief and longing.
Henry Sanchez recalled the first woman he loved as he listened to the song. Tears unconsciously slid down his cheeks as he remembered that distant memory.
'Great!' Luke praised Arlan in his heart as he looked at the young man who was absorbed in playing the piano. Luke had never heard someone play the instrument better than Arlan.
Terrence stared at Arlan in shock. Who would have thought that this guy was also a piano prodigy other than his talent in basketball?
Soon, the music ended. However, everyone was still processing the melancholic feeling brought upon by the song.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Henry clapped his hands as he said. "Beautiful!"
After a moment of silence, the other guests also started clapping their hands.
"What a beautiful melody!"
"I'm crying. The music feels so sad..."
Arlan stood up and bowed his head lightly to the crowd. "Thank you so much, everyone! I will play one more song and this is especially for Mr. Sanchez who is celebrating his 40th birthday." Arlan turned his head to Henry and smiled politely at him before taking his seat.
The piece he was going to play was titled 'Happy Moments' and this song could make one recall the happy memories of their past and also look forward to the future.
The gentle melody drifted into everyone's ears, making them unconsciously smile as they closed their eyes.
The peaceful music made them reminisce about their childhood.
As soon as the song ended, the guests clapped their hands emotionally.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Even those stern-looking old men were smiling as they glanced at Arlan who was on the stage.
Arlan bowed at the crowd before walking down the stage. He then headed to where Henry's group was and said. "I hope you liked the song, Mr. Sanchez."
Henry's lips curved upwards as he patted Arlan's shoulder. "The two songs you played are beautiful. I liked them both."
"Thank you for your praise." Arlan smiled humbly.
The other performers went to the stage and the performances proceeded smoothly. This made Luke and Terrence happy. They were also grateful to Arlan who managed to save the situation with his superb piano skills.
"Buddy, you've hidden yourself well! You have to play the piano on my birthday too!" Terrence fiercely patted his hack due to his excitement.
"Good job, Arlan! You saved your Uncle's reputation this time. I'll gift you one unit of your choice after this party." Luke laughingly said. One unit of the hotel was priced in millions of pesos or hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was not a small gift, but it was nothing to Luke who owned a lot of properties. This was also his way of making friends with Arlan who showed a promising future with his skill on the piano.
Arlan was a bit surprised by this. He knew that it was expensive to own a unit in this hotel. Although it wasn't one of the most luxurious hotels, it was still among the pricey ones.
He was homeless now and he was only staying temporarily in the hotel so he didn't reject the gift. "Thank you, Uncle Luke." He smiled happily.
"I also have something for you later, Arlan, but that would have to wait until the end of the party." Henry said. "I'll talk with those old guys first. We'll chat later." He grabbed a wine glass and walked towards the group of old men.
"How lucky! It seems like Uncle Henry has taken a liking to you." Terrence stared at him in jealousy. He knew that it was so difficult to be noticed by Henry, but Arlan managed to do it with just two music pieces!
"Dream on! Other than basketball, what else do you know?" Luke lightly scolded at the side.
Terrence immediately scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Father, don't compare me to this guy. He is a prodigy..." He muttered in a self-deprecating tone.
"At least you know how to acknowledge your weakness." Luke was gratified to see that his son was finally admitting his imperfection. He was worried that Terrence would grow into an arrogant person, but it seemed like there was nothing to be worried about.
"Let's go back to our buddies. I bet those young ladies are dying to know more about you." Terrence grabbed Arlan's shoulder and dragged him to his rich young friends.
"See you later, Uncle Luke!" Arlan could only shout helplessly as Terrence dragged him away.
When they arrived at the spot of the rich young masters and young ladies.
"Arlan, you didn't tell us that you can play the piano so elegantly!"
"Arlan, do you have a girlfriend?"
Arlan felt a bit embarrassed by the invasive stares of the young ladies. He also noticed that the young masters were looking at him differently.
"This..." Arlan didn't know who to answer first when he saw everyone's eager expressions.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)reeweb(n)ovel.com